Page 114 of Off Limits
‘Everything alright?’ he asks.
I try to pull myself together. ‘I’m at The Bounty. You won’t believe this. Brody Conway just paid me a visit.’
‘Sonofabitch!’ I hear Jake curse, and it’s followed by a thud, like he’s punching the steering wheel several times. ‘What did he say?’
I check the door and lower my voice. There’s no use trying to pretend like I’m not in tears. ‘He wants me at his apartment, Friday night, or he goes public with everything he knows. He gave me that ultimatum then walked out.’
‘Shit,’ Jake mutters, then he goes quiet for a moment. ‘I’m on my way to the training facility. When I’m done, I’m heading straight to the airport. There’s somebody I gotta pick up. Can you meet me at the cabin after your shift? I need you to bring that ledger you told me about. Your copy of it.’
I wipe my face, trying to compose myself. ‘Okay. I can do that.’
‘Does Brody expect to see you before Friday?’
‘I… I don’t know. I don’t think so.’
‘Then we’ve bought ourselves some time. I promise you, I’m gonna help you every step of the way. Do you trust me on that?’
I’m squeezing my phone so tightly. ‘Yes,’ I say. ‘Yes, I trust you.’
‘Then meet me at the cabin. After your shift. Bring the ledger. Don’t forget it. And Serenity?’
‘Yes?’
I wait for his response, but nothing comes, just the sound of his truck whirring in the background. There’s a long pause before he says, ‘I’ll catch you later.’
‘See you later.’
I hang up the phone and replace it back in my bag in my locker. Going to the rusty mirror, I wipe away some of the eye makeup that’s running down my cheeks and make myself presentable.
‘There you are,’ Jewel says on my return. I straighten my apron. ‘What did Brody Conway have to say?’
‘Oh, not a lot, said he was just passing through,’ I say, and I can’t look her in the eye when I say it. ‘Something about a business meeting on this side of town.’
‘Did he order something?’
I shrug. ‘He asked me to talk him through the menu, but in the end all he wanted was an espresso to go.’
‘Did he recognize you?’ Shawny asks.
I force a smile. ‘I think so. I mean, he didn’t say as much outright.’
‘I find him kinda creepy,’ Leona says. ‘Anyone else think that?’
‘One hundred million per cent,’ Shawny confirms. ‘No man has any business having fingers that long and slender.’
Jewel makes noises like she’s gonna blow chunks.
‘Ren, can we get the check?’ Shawny asks. ‘Much as we love your company, sugar, it’s getting late, and we’d best get out your hair.’
On the road up to the cabin, in the fading light, there’s torrential rain. It’s a great time for one of my windshield wipers to snap clean in half. I cling to the steering wheel and slow my speed, praying I can make it to the cabin without having a collision.
By the time I reach the cabin, through the downpour, I spy Jake’s pickup already parked up. I squeal as the water hits me and I slam my car door shut, racing up the steps to the porch.
The door opens and almost immediately I run inside. Jake closes it behind me, and I practically launch myself into his arms. His arms go around me, and we cling to one another, water dripping from my hair and clothes.
‘Hi,’ he whispers.
‘Hi,’ I say back.
